Electric sign flasher



Sept. 5, 1933 l.. E. wEsTovER ELECTRIC SIGN FLASHER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June ll, 1932 Q mmm 54 /ff vro//f/P Sept 5, 1933 E, wEsTovER 1,925,889

ELECTRIC SIGN FLASHER Filed June ll, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m WX Patented Sept. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric sign fiasher and has for its principal object the provision of a flasher of this character which will eliminate the necessity for the usual driving motor.

Another object of the invention is to provide aflasher which will operate one or more circuits at any desired frequency and which will be instantly adjustable for either or both the on or off intervals.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawings and throughout the description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the invention with the cover of the enclosing cabinet removed.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the cabinet taken Yon the line 2 2, Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a detail section, taken on the line 3-3,

Fig. 1. y

Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating the invention connected for operating two independent circuits. f f

Fig. 5 is an alternate circuit diagram illustrating the inventionadapted to control a single circuit.

Fig. 6 is an alternate circuit diagram in which an independent circuit is employed for the operation mechanism. l

The invention is preferably placed in a protectingcabinet 10, provided with a suitable removable lid 11.

' The invention comprises a relatively long lever 12 hinged upon a hinge pin 13 in a base member 14. The upper extremity of the member 12 is returned upon itself, to form a frame 15 in which an insulating sleeve 16 is clamped by means of a set screw' 17. A conductor rod 18 passes entirely through the sleeve 16 and projects from the forward extremity thereof. The rearward extremity of the conductor rod is provided with a suitable binding nut 19.

The -lever- 12 is constantly pulled rearwardly by means of a lever spring 20 and is intermittently pulled forwardly by means of a thermostatic wire 21. The thermostatic wire 21 terminates in two terminal rings 22, the upper one of rr which is passed over the extremity of the con- "o ductor rod 18. The wire 21 may be insulated by Stringing beads, such as indicated at 23, thereon throughout its length. These beads not only electrically insulate the Wire but also serve as a thermal insulator. The lower ring 22 is passed over the forward extremity of a tension adjusting lever 24, which is hinged in the base member 14 on a suitable hinge pin 25. The rear extremity of the lever 24 is supported upon an adjusting screw 26 by means of which any desired tension can be placed in the wire 21.

The circuits are closed and opened by means of a mercury contact tube 27 which is supported in a clamp member 28 that is hinged upon a hinge post 29. The hinge post 29 and the spring post 30 extend from a suitable insulating block 70 31 secured to the back of the cabinet 10.

The clamp member 28 is rocked upon its pivot by means of a threaded connecting rod 32 which extends through a hole in the lever 12. The connecting rod is provided with a pair of lever contact nuts 33 and a pair of stop nuts 34. The lever nuts 33 are positioned on each side of the lever l2 and the stop nuts 34 are positioned upon each side of a stop standard 35, which extends outwardly from the insulating block 31.

A spring arm 36 extends forwardly from the clamp member 28 and connects with one extremity of a snap spring 37. The other extremity of the spring 37 may be connected to any suitable fixed support such as a projection 38 on' the stop 85 standard 35.

It is preferred to mount one or more short circuiting switches in the cabinet 10 such as indicated by the switch blades 39 and 40. The blades 39 and 40 are hinged upon a common 90 switch terminal 41 supported from an insulating base 42. The blade 39 closes a circuit with the contact 43 and the blade 40 closes a circuit with a contact 44.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the device is used 95 to control two series of lamps or luminescent tubes such as indicated at A and B, Fig. 4, so that the two series will illuminate alternately. For this use, a flexible conductor 45 is connected between the contact 44 and a binding post 46 100 upon the tension lever 24. A second flexible conductor 47 is connected between the contact 43 and the left terminal of the mercury tube 27. A third flexible conductor 48 is connected ber tween the eem-.eet 41 and the middle terminal ef 10 the mercury tube 27. A fourth flexible conductor 49 is connected under the binding nut 19 of the conductor bar 18 and extends to the right hand terminal of the mercury tube 27.

The feed mains are indicated in the diagrams at and 51. One of these mains, for instance, 51, is connected to the contact 41. The other main 50 extends direct to the lamps A and B. The other side of the lamps A and B is connected by means of suitable conductors 52 and 53, resepectively, to the contacts 43 and 44, respectively.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the lamps B have just been shut oi and vcurrent is fiowing from the main 50 through the wire 47 to the mercury tube 27. Since this tube is now tilted to the left the mercury therein will be closing the circuit between the left hand terminal thereof and the middle terminal so that the current will be flowing through the wire 48 to the other main 51 so that the lamps A are illuminated and no current is owing through the thermostatic wire 21. This allows the latter wire to cool and in cooling it contracts so as to pull the forward extremity of the conductor bar 18 downwardly, hence titlting the lever 12 toward the right. As the lever tilts toward the right it will eventually strike the right hand lever nut 33 causing the rod 32 to swing the clip 28 to the right. When this swinging movement reaches a point where the spring 37 pulls above the hinge post 29, the spring will snap the mercury tube 27 to the right until the left hand stop nut 34 strikes the stop 35. Now current will flow as indicated in Fig. 4, from the conductor 51, through the wire 48 and the mercury in the mercury tube 27, to the wire 49, thence through the conductor bar 18, the thermostatic wire 21, the tension lever 24, the wire 45 and the conductor 53 to the lamps B, illuminating the latter.

The current now flowing through the thermostatic wire 21 will heat the latter causing its length to increase by thermal expansion. This allows the spring 20 to draw the lever 12 to the left until it again strikes the lever nut 33 so as to swing the mercury tube 27 to the left and shut off the currentto the lamps B through the thermostatic wire 21 and illuminate the lamps A.v 'I'his alternate action continues as long as current is supplied.

Should it be desired to cause the flasher to cease functioning on either or both the lamp series A and B, this can be accomplished by simply closing either or both the blades 39 and 40 which will short circuit the operating mechanism and cause the lamps to remain continuously lighted.

It will be noted that when connected as above described, the current owing through the lamps B provides the current for heating the thermostatic wire 2l. If it is desired to have this current supplied independently of the current to the lamps, this may be accomplished by connecting the apparatus, as shown in Fig. 6. For such use the conductor 45 is replaced by a conductor extending between the terminal 44 to the right mercury tube terminal and a resistance unit 54 is connected in series with the thermostatic wire 21 and the main 50.

Should it be desired to control but a single circuit the connection 52 to the contact 43 may be eliminated as shown in Fig. 5. The interval of illumination can be regulated by means of the nuts 33. By separating these nuts the interval the lamps are lighted can be increased and by bringing them closer together the interval can be decreased. One circuit can be caused to remain closed longer than the other if desired by simply moving one of the nuts 33 further away from the lever 12. The nuts 34 should be adjusted to allow the proper tilt to the tube 27. The screw 26 can be set to accommodate any variation in length in the wire 21.

While a speciiic form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent isz- 1. An electric sign flasher comprising: a relatively long lever hinged at its one extremity; spring means urging said lever in one direction; a thermally expansible wire arranged, when cooling, to draw said lever in the other direction; a mercury contact tube; a support for said tube; means for hinging said support so that said tube may be rocked; a connecting rod secured to said support out of alignment with the pivot point thereof, said connecting rod passing adjacent said lever; nuts threaded on said rod at opposite sides of said lever so that said lever in moving will alternately contact therewith and rock said tube; and means for limiting the rocking movement o1' said tube.

2. Means for intermittently closing an electric circuit comprising: a relatively long lever hinged at its one extremity; a projecting member on the other extremity of said lever projecting in the plane of movement of said lever; a thermally expansible wire extending from said projecting member toward the hinge of said lever so that contraction of said wire will swing said lever in one direction; a spring for swinging said lever in the 'other direction; a contact member operated in consequence of the movement of said lever; and means for regulating the tension in said thermally expansible wire.

3. Means for intermittently closing an electric circuit comprising: a relatively long lever hinged at its one extremity; a projecting member on the other extremity of said lever projecting in the plane of movement of said lever; a thermally expansible wire extending from said projecting member toward the hinge of said lever so that contraction of said wire will swing said lever in one direction; a spring for swinging said lever in the other direction; a contact member operated in consequence of the movement of said lever; means for regulating the tension in said thermally expansible wire, said latter means comprising: a tension lever connected at its one extremity to said wire and manually operable means for swinging the other extremity thereof.

4. Means for intermittently closing an electric circuit comprising: a base member; a lever extending upwardly from said base member and hinged thereto; an insulating sleeve carried by the free extremity of said lever and extending forwardly therefrom; a conductor bar passing through said sleeve and projecting from the extremities thereof; a tension lever hinged to said base member and extending forwardly thereof; a thermally expansible wire extending from said tension lever to the extremity of said conductor bar so that in cooling it will swing the said lever in one direction; a spring arranged to urge said lever in the other direction; and means for closing said electric circuit in consequence of the movements of said lever.

5. Means for intermittently closing an electric circuit comprising: a base member; a lever extending upwardly from said base member and hinged thereto; an insulating sleeve carried by the free extremity of said lever and extending forwardly therefrom; a conductor bar passing through said sleeve and projecting from the extremities thereof; a tension lever hinger to said base member and extending forwardly thereof; a thermally expansible wire extending from said tension lever to the extremity of said conductor bar so that in cooling it will swing the said lever in one direction; a spring arranged to urge said lever in the other direction; means for closing said electric circuit in consequence of the movements of said lever, said latter means comprising, a mercury contact tube; a rocking support for said tube; and an operative connection between said support and said lever so as to move the former in consequence of the movements of the latter.

6. An electric sign flasher comprising: a relatively long lever hinged at its one extremity; spring means urging said lever in one direction; a thermally expansible wire arranged, when cooling, to draw said lever in the other direction; a mercury contact tube; a support for said tube; means for hinging said support so that said tube may be rocked; a connecting rod secured to said support out of alignment with the pivot point thereof, said connecting rod passing adjacent said lever; projections on said rod at opposite sides of said lever so that said lever in moving will alternately contact therewith and rock said tube; a stop member adjacent said rod; and stops on said rod arranged to alternately contact With said stop member to limit the movement of said rod to the distance between said stop members.

LESLIE E. WESTOVER. 

